Italy earthquake leaves many dead and wipes out town

Strong earthquake has struck central Italy, collapsing homes on top of residents as they slept.

At least 37 people were reported dead in two hard-hit towns, where rescue crews raced to dig out survivors from the rubble.

The magnitude 6 quake struck at 3.36am local time and was felt across a broad swathe of central Italy, including the capital, Rome, where residents felt a long swaying followed by aftershocks.

The hardest-hit towns were Amatrice and Accumoli near Rieti, some 80 miles north-east of Rome, though the quake was felt beyond the Lazio region into Umbria and Le Marche on the Adriatic coast.

Homes and businesses collapsed into the street in Amatrice (Picture: EPA)
This still image taken from video shows the destruction in Amatrice, central Italy, where a 6.1 earthquake struck just after 3:30 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016. The quake was felt across a broad section of central Italy, including the capital Rome where people in homes in the historic center felt a long swaying followed by aftershocks. 

A nun checks her mobile phone as she lies near a victim laid on a ladder following an earthquake in Amatrice Italy, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016. The magnitude 6 quake struck at 3:36 a.m. (0136 GMT) and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy, including Rome where residents of the capital felt a 

 A general view shows the rubble of collapsed buildings in Pescara del Tronto, near Arquata del Tronto municipality, Ascoli Piceno province, Marche Region, central Italy, 24 August 2016, following a 6.2 magnitude earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), that struck at around 3:30 am local time (1:30 am GMT). 

The quake was felt across a broad section of central Italy, including the capital Rome where people in homes in the historic center felt a long swaying followed by aftershocks. According to reports at least 21 people died in the quake, 11 in Lazio and 10 in Marche regions.